Whether you're cooking for Good Friday, a big lunch on Easter Sunday or just throughout the weekend, there are so many quick and easy Easter recipes out there that will please even the fussiest of eaters. From a beautifully succulent rack of lamb to a traditional Simnel Cake, check out our easy-to-follow meal ideas below. You'll be serving up a memorable feast in no time...
Persian Crusted Rack of Lamb with Minted Jersey Royals
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 20-30 mins plus resting time
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For the crusted lamb:
50g shelled pistachios, chopped
½ tsp cumin seed
4 stems mint leaves
Juice and zest ½ lemon
2 tbsp harissa
8 bone rack of lamb
For the minted Jersey Royals:
500g Jersey Royal potatoes, halved if large
50g butter
Small handful torn mint leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
Steamed green beans to serve
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Method:
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan oven 180C/Gas Mark 6. To make the crust, place the nuts, cumin and mint in the small bowl of a food processor and chop. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.
Step 2
Heat a frying pan until hot then brown the racks on the meaty side until golden. Brush the harissa over the browned side and pat on the nut mixture. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes (20 mins for rare and 30 mins for well done). Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Bring a pan of water to the boil add the potatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain then stir in the butter, mint and season with some salt and pepper.
Step 4
Carve the rack, cutting between the bones and serve with the potatoes and green beans.
Aldi's Lamb, pomegranate and mint hot cross brioche bun
Ingredients:
Leftover Whole Leg of Fresh British Lamb
100ml Brooklea natural yogurt
1 small Farm Fresh garlic clove
crushed Fresh mint, finely chopped
Stonemill salt and Stonemill pepper
Squeeze of Nature’s Fruit lemon Leaf Merchant baby salad leaves with shredded The Salad Box beetroot
Drizzle of Solesta olive oil
1 Zest easy peeler funsize peeled and chopped
100g Let’s East pomegranate seeds
The Foodie Market pistachio nuts
1/2 teaspoon of Stonemill cinnamon
Method:
Step 1
Halve the buns and pop them into a warm oven for about ten minutes or until warm and starting to toast
Step 2
Warm pre-cooked roast lamb and cinnamon in olive oil. Remove from the pan and keep warm
Step 3
Toast pistachio nuts in the pan
Step 4
Put the yogurt, lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and chopped fresh mint into a bowl. Mix well and put in the fridge until you are ready to use
Step 5
Put the salad leaves, with beetroot, into a bowl and drizzle over olive oil and lemon juice
Step 6
Put the base of the warmed hot cross bun onto a plate or board, pile on the warmed roast lamb, followed by a spoonful of the yogurt and mint sauce, then top with pomegranate seeds, chopped mint and a handful of dressed salad leaves. Put the on the top bun, add more salad on the side, the chopped clementine and sprinkle with the pistachio nuts. Enjoy immediately!
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Crabbie's Simnel Cake
Ingredients:
250g butter
250g brown sugar
5 eggs
100ml Crabbie's Scottish Raspberry
250g self raising flour
200g sultanas
100g currants
100g dried cherries
2 orange zest
2tsp mixed spice
700g marzipan
100g raspberries
For the candied nuts:
150g whole almonds
150g sugar
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Method:
Step 1
Pre-heat oven 150° gas mark 3.
Step 2
Cream the butter & sugar together in a mixer then add the eggs one by one, then pour in the Crabbie's.
Step 3
Sieve the flour and mixed spice into the bowl and fold in. Add the currants, cherries and sultanas.
Step 4
Place half of the mix into a 10" cake tin.
Step 5
Roll out about 200g of marzipan to 10" and place on top of the mix. Put the other half of the mix into the tin, cover in tin foil and put in the oven to bake for 3 hours.
Step 6
Transfer to a cooling rack, let cool for 1 hour.
Step 7
Roll out another 10" marzipan ring and place on top.
Step 8
Make 11 balls of marzipan at 20g each by rolling in the palm of your hands. Place round the edges of the cake evenly spread and put under the grill until the marzipan goes golden brown.
For the Candied nuts:
Step 1
Put the sugar in a heavy based sauce pan with a splash of water and bring to 121° then add the nuts stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar has cooled and the nuts are coated.
Step 2
Place one candied nut on top of each marzipan ball and position raspberries in between each marzipan ball.
Dr Oetker Tear and Share Hot Cross Buns
Preparation time: 50 minutes plus rising, proving and cooling
Cooking time: 32 minutes
Serves: 9
Ingredients
500g (1lb2oz) White bread flour + extra for dusting
7g sachet Fast-acting dried yeast
5g (1 tsp) Salt
5g (2 tsp) Ground cinnamon
50g (2oz) Light soft brown sugar
Approx. 250ml (9fl.oz) Whole milk, warm
10ml (2tsp) Dr. Oetker Natural Valencian Orange Extract
50g (2oz) Unsalted butter, melted
1 Large egg, beaten
100g (3 ½ oz) Currants
To Decorate
30ml (2tbsp) Whole milk
40g (1 ½ oz) Caster sugar
Icing sugar to dust
75g (3oz) Dr. Oetker Ready To Roll Marzipan
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Method
Step 1
Grease and line a 23cm (9inch) diameter spring-form cake tin with baking parchment. Mix the flour, cinnamon, dried yeast, salt and light brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre.
Step 2
Pour half the warm whole milk in the centre of the well. Add the Orange Extract, melted butter and all but 15ml (1tbsp) beaten egg, reserve the rest of the beaten egg to glaze. Gently mix into the flour using a wooden spoon to form a smooth, thick paste in the middle. Stir in the currants
Step 3
Gradually pour and mix in the remaining milk, stirring to form a slightly sticky, moist dough in the centre of the bowl.
Step 4
Turn the dough on to the work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, and the dough no longer sticks to the work surface and is silky smooth; this will take about 10 minutes. Only use extra flour to dust the work surface or your hands if the mixture is very sticky - the longer you work the dough the less sticky it will become. Push any loose currants back into the dough as you knead.
Step 5
Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, big enough to allow room for the dough to double in size. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise at a cool, room temperature, out of draughts, for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until doubled in size.
Step 6
6. Once the dough has risen satisfactorily, push the dough with your knuckles to deflate it and turn it on to a lightly floured work surface. Form the dough into a ball and let it rest for 5 minutes on the work surface.
Step 7
Divide into 9 equal portions and form into balls. Place one in the middle of the tin and arrange the others round the edge of the tin. Cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.
Step 8
Preheat the oven to 200˚C (180˚C fan assisted oven, 400˚F, gas mark 6). Brush the reserved egg all over the buns. Bake for about 30 minutes until richly golden and the buns sound hollow when tapped. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
Step 9
Meanwhile, prepare the decoration. Put the milk in a saucepan with the caster sugar. Heat gently, stirring until dissolved, then bring to the boil and simmer for a few seconds until syrupy.
Step 10
Carefully unclip the tin and transfer the bun round to a wire rack. Brush generously all over with the sugary milk glaze and leave to cool completely.
Step 11
To serve, lightly dust the work surface with icing sugar, roll out the marzipan thinly and cut out 18 1cm (1/2inch) wide strips approx. 6 to 7cm (2 ¾ to 3 inch) long for the crosses. Lay 2 strips, crossing, over each bun and press down gently. Your hot cross buns are now ready to serve and enjoy.
TIP:
These buns are delicious eaten on the same day they are baked, split and spread with butter, or cut in half and lightly toasted. They will keep for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container.
Replace the currants with any dried fruit of your choice, or for a flavour twist, add a 100g bag Dr Oetker Dark Chocolate Chips instead of the fruit. If you’re not a Marzipan fan, why not use strips of Dr Oetker Regal Ice to make the crosses instead, or pipe the crosses with Dr Oetker Designer Icing. More traditionally, the crosses are piped onto hot cross buns before baking. Mix 50g (2oz) plain flour with 20ml (4 tsp) vegetable oil and about 30ml (2 tbsp) water to make a smooth, stiff paste, suitable for piping. Spoon into an uncut piping bag until ready to bake.
Glaze the buns with the reserved beaten egg as in the above recipe. Snip off the end if the piping bag to make an opening about 6mm (1/4inch) and pipe a cross on top of each bun. Bake as above and then brush them with sugar syrup.
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